Slough v Arlesey

[Tom]

Surely the question should be why is the home form so poor compared to the away form?

 

- Is it Beaconsfield's pitch?

- Could it be the pressure of playing at home?

- Do teams "up their game" when they travel to us?

 

I'm with Windsor Rebel. Still plenty of games to play, another run with a bit of consistency can secure a play off place. I don't think it will be a case like the last few seasons where the teams that can finish in the top 5 positions is as clear cut as it has been.

[readingrebel]

Nathan I'm afraid you may be righ.t I wasn't able to go on Tuesday but I've no problem believing the dire reports of our performance. League position doesnt mean much at present because of the differing number of games played You can get a pretty good yardstick though by looking at the points lost during the season so far by all the teams. At present Hitchin have lost 12 Slough 33 and between those 2 are 10 other teams In terms of points lost we are 12 th It was correctly stated on this forum recently that historically a team is unlikely to progress to the playoffs if they lose more than 11/12 games in a season We have now lost 9. I posted a few weeks ago that by the end of Jan I believed our likelihood of the play-offs would be much clearer and I still believe this is so. I cant understand the people who carp about our forwards We are the 2nd highest scorers in the league Our problems lie with a defence who always look likely to concede. Why isnt this being addressed?

 

 

Trouble is I'm not totally convinced it's purely down to the defence alone. If you look at Tuesday's game as an example, for the first 15/20 minutes Arlesey attacked us with ease cutting through our mid-field as if it didn't exist. Yes, the defence played poorly but defending starts from the front/midfield and not for the first time this season our defence were given very little protection.

 

Having said that you can't excuse the amount of goals we've conceeded this season from free headers coming from set pieces/corners.

[Martin]

I'd still rather have points on the board than games in hand. Yes our "cushion" isn't great but if it starts piddling it down for all of February and March we may well benefit from having played these games already. If the likes of Aylesbury, Rugby, Daventry et al end up playing Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday then I think the points per game formula goes out of the window. Also bear in mind that they do have to play each other as well so they can't always all be winning.

 

The important thing is we can't now go into a slump we need to bounce back against Daventry and Woodford and lets do that by supporting the team and trying to build confidence.

 

I've stated my view of the game and we were disappointing and I found the tempo too slow. But we did try and play good football with two out and out wingers and bustling hard working forwards. That is what I like to see and long may it continue.

 

 

[Sue]

Hmmmmm not sure I agree with you on that one Mark.

 

Chris, I did think they looked a better side than you on the night but that doesnt mean they are, as I said I dont think you have played them yet so that will tell us something. Good luck against them anyway.

 

 

 

 

[readingrebel]

Can't believe that result. Probably Man City's Arlesey's best performance of the season. What happened?

 

Interesting to hear from one of your posters that he felt they were better than us. Certainly sounds that they performed better against you than we did. But then perhaps you raised your game against us because you felt you had nothing to lose or something to prove against us, but against them you were desperate to win and froze on the night - much as we did in last season's play-off.

 

As for saying you're stuffed for the play-offs - rubbish! We have still to play Man City Arlesey twice, Woodford away, Rugby Home. Leighton away, Bedfont at Home and Aylesbury away. We would expect to get something from that little lot which would help your situation. The biggest dilemma is that as we go on - the "unbeaten" tag becomes a bigger pressure. We can't keep that up all season - but we are more likely to blow the record against one of the bottom teams than against one of the teams I have mentioned above. But we take nothing for granted and underestimate nobody. Arlesey have the biggest budget in our division by a country mile and average crowds of 70-80. Where's it going? Who knows, but they are desperate to beat us. On the other hand we must just make sure we don't lose against them.

 

I think you have a much better chance of beating Woodford at their place, where they have to come out to play, than when they are away from home where they just park the bus and shut up shop. THERE'S A LONG WAY TO GO YET!! And after all. their defeat to Northwood was worse than yours!

 

 

Chris, it's pretty simple really. Against yourselves both teams played well and either team could have nicked it. Against Arlesey only one team turned up hence a 3-0 drubbing. To say Arlesey are better than Hitchin based on those 2 games IMO is quite frankly ridiculous.

[Irishadrian]

I do wonder at what stage some of our contributors will accept that things are not going well. When it is statistically impossible for us to reach the play-offs I suppose? Remember Bateman's promise before a ball was kicked this season was " The play-offs at least!" If we perform in the second half of the season as we did in first our points total will be 66 and nowhere near the play-offs Thats the reality.

Edited January 20, 2011 by Irishadrian

[Mark44]

I agree Reading. Hitchin are the best team in this league. You just have to look at the table to see that.

 

I think we do up our game against them and I think that Hitchin is more of a Derby for us in terms of what a derby should be like than the likes of Burnham et al

[Matt]

Defending starts from the front and this is where I believe Bates got it wrong on Tuesday. When you look at Arlesey's back four, all were at least six feet tall. I did wonder before the game whether Bates would stick with the same front two that played so well against Marlow and tore them apart. Arlesey are different though, and at no point did I really think we were going to nick a goal with the style of football we were playing. Too much long ball and then too intricate around the box. Nobody to hold it up, and inevitably the ball gets cleared, bypassing the midfield, and we're immediately in trouble from a counter-attack. Others will disagree but I would have started with Simon Martin and also told the team to let fly from distance a lot more!

 

Having said that, I was really impressed with Arlesey who were good value for the 3-0 win even with 10 men. Their second goal just a minute after the sending-off killed us - they were happy to sit back and soak up the pressure thereafter and I was extremely envious of the way they kept out an albeit impotent Slough attack in the second half. Well organised, well disciplined and well drilled, and still managed to nick a third on the break and keep a clean sheet! It can't be much fun when you're chasing around and the opposition have 80% of the possession, but they stuck at it when in the same situation I don't think we'd have held out.

 

Aside from the strikers, we were far too predictable as others have said, and Arlesey intercepted numerous attempted passes. The crossing, at times, was woeful too, and when it did come in, there was a monstrous centre-half or the goalkeeper to deal with it.

 

I felt a bit sorry for Charlie Fanner in all of this - he really didn't have much to do and conceded 3 goals from about 4 or 5 attempts! I really don't want to be overly critical after this game though as we won't have too many tougher.

 

In the end it's the inconsistency that will kill us - when we're good, we can play most sides off the park. But when we're not "at it", passing goes awry and we don't look like scoring.

[Windsor Rebel]

I do wonder at what stage some of our contributors will accept that things are not going well. When it is statistically impossible for us to reach the play-offs I suppose? Remember Bateman's promise before a ball was kicked this season was " The play-offs at least!" If we perform in the second half of the season as we did in first our points total will be 66 and nowhere near the play-offs Thats the reality.

 

 

Things are not going well? We are fifth in the league, wise up!

[Mark44]

Agree with you Matt

 

I also feel sorry for Charlie, i think he has done well in the games he has come in and none of the goals were his fault entirely so i hope his confidence is not shaken.

[Sue]

Eddie please dont call me ridiculous, I am a lot of things but hope I am not ridiculous !!

[Ian]

I do wonder at what stage some of our contributors will accept that things are not going well. When it is statistically impossible for us to reach the play-offs I suppose? Remember Bateman's promise before a ball was kicked this season was " The play-offs at least!" If we perform in the second half of the season as we did in first our points total will be 66 and nowhere near the play-offs Thats the reality.

 

It's difficult logic to argue against to be honest so I don't see why people are shooting down irishadrian's comments. Just because there are 50 (?) points available doesn't mean we'll get them. What we're likely to do is follow the trend up to now which is win a few and lose a few. I can't see any reason (no new players, continuing erratic form etc) why the trend upto now shouldn't continue and if it does, we'll probably miss the playoffs. The one variable which is in our favour as Martin has said is that we shouldn't have to play as many games as others over a short period of time. That's not being negative - it's a realistic assessment of where we are and where we're likely to be.

[readingrebel]

I agree Reading. Hitchin are the best team in this league. You just have to look at the table to see that.

 

I think we do up our game against them and I think that Hitchin is more of a Derby for us in terms of what a derby should be like than the likes of Burnham et al

 

 

Whether Hitchin are the best team in the division will be known at the end of the season and I'm sure their two games with Arlesey will be the deciding factor. Hitchin are certainly the most consistant team in the division,that's why they are top.

[readingrebel]

Eddie please dont call me ridiculous, I am a lot of things but hope I am not ridiculous !!

 

 

 

No offence meant Sue.

 

My comment was not aimed at anyone in particular.

[brighton_rebel]

Why do we have a lot more postings when we lose than when we win?

I'd be gutted if we didn't make the play offs and am fed up with being in this league; but in the not too distant past we were terrible week in week out for quite a few seasons and could have quite easily ceased to exist as a club. So fifth in the league at this stage of the season is pretty good.

 

 

 

[Windsor Rebel]

My point exactly Warren, too many negative thinking people on here.

[Mr Rebel]

people saying last seasons squad is a fair enough comment as we were blessed to have the likes of Nathan Bowden Hasse, Elliot Buchanan and for a while Adam Martin. all have/do play at a higher level and deservedly so. saying that most of the problems we have now we had last season also. 3 or 4 times last season like this we found ourselves 2 or 3 goals down inside 20 minutes for example

 

regarding crosses it would be a start if we are to get the crosses in to get them in earlier than we do. that way there will not be 4 or 5 defenders there to clear with ease. so often we have numerous of our own players drawn wide and involved in 2 or 3 exchanges before the cross is even considered leaving the opponents chance to regroup and pack the box

 

why we continue to face near enough every single team who gives us little space to attack with and yet we gift yards and yards regardless of the oppositions ability i have no clue

 

im still in support of Bateman but maybe it really is time to start copying other teams formations a bit more. wrong style for the wrong league could be a problem sometimes

 

at end of the day it was 1 game against at worst the 2nd best team in the league . everyone was raving about our previous 3 performances so lets just get behind the team and see what we can do in the next few weeks

[Mr Rebel]

Why do we have a lot more postings when we lose than when we win?

I'd be gutted if we didn't make the play offs and am fed up with being in this league; but in the not too distant past we were terrible week in week out for quite a few seasons and could have quite easily ceased to exist as a club. So fifth in the league at this stage of the season is pretty good.

 

very very good point

 

unfortunately its the way it goes with fans i suppose. Bateman turning us from hopeless to playoff contenders in a season rose expectations due to the superb turnaround he lead.

 

also gotta agree we are all sick of this league that doesn't help either. its almost desperation but we should be happy we are only this low

[Sue]

Eddie, none taken, I just try and keep my posts light hearted.

 

You should know me by now I never post anything negative about our players (I do about opposition though) or about how we played I leave that to the experts, just thought on the night they looked the better side, saying that I thought Rugby looked good as well so who knows.

 

Think we should move on now though, obviously I would of liked 3 points from both games but if I had to pick one I would prefer to win on Sat, so fingers crossed.

 

Very brave of you to call me ridiculous though, no biscuits on the coach for you on Sat.

 

 

 

 

[Ted]

Why do we have a lot more postings when we lose than when we win?....

 

Because thats when posts that do not get the approval of the forum mafia are made.